Clipper-combined device

ABSTRACT

The invention provides a novel combination of a nail clipper and molded plastic case or retaining body therefor, such that the clipper is available for ready use, apart from the body, by overcoming a retaining detent-engagement action between interfering parts of the body and clipper. The arrangement is such that the spring lever of the clipper serves as a clip, to resiliently hold the assembled clipper and body in a clothing or other pocket. In the form described, the body member is a hair comb, in which case, the lever of the clipper is the spring clip by which both grooming-tool functions are pocket-retained and readily available for use.

UHEKQ States Patent Hedu 1 Jan. 23, 1973 [54] CLIPPER-COMBINED DEVICEPrimary Examiner-Louis G. Mancene [75] Inventor. Jon Hedu, Watertown,Conn. Assistant Examiner j. O- Lever [73] Assignee: The W. E. BassettCompany, Derby, AttorneyNichol M. Sandoe et 21].

Conn. [22] Filed: Dec. 15, 1971 [57] ABSTRACT Appl. N0.: 208,107

The invention provides a novel combination of a nail clipper and moldedplastic case or retaining body therefor, such that the clipper isavailable for ready use, apart from the body, by overcoming a retainingdetent-engagement action between interfering parts of the body andclipper. The arrangement is such that the spring lever of the clipperserves as a clip, to resiliently hold the assembled clipper and body ina clothing or other pocket. 1n the form described, the body member is ahair comb, in which case, the lever of the clipper is the spring clip bywhich both grooming-tool functions are pocket-retained and readilyavailable for use.

12 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures PATENTEUJANZS m1 3.712.311

INVENTOR \TO/Y HEA CLIPPER-COMBINED DEVICE The invention relates topocket implements or tools, including grooming devices, such as nailclippers.

It is an object of the invention to provide an improved device of thecharacter indicated, extending the utility thereof.

Another object is to provide a novel combined tool of the characterindicated, providing selectively available multiple-tool functions.

A specific object is to provide a novel multiple-purpose tool includinga nail clipper.

Another specific object is to provide a novel pocketclip function for adevice of the character indicated.

Other objects and various further features of novelty and invention willbe pointed out or will occur to those skilled in the art from a readingof the following specification, in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings. In said drawings:

FIG. 1 is a view in perspective of an assembled clipper device of theinvention;

FIG. 2 is a simplified fragmentary view in perspective to show thedevice of FIG. 1, retained in a garment pocket;

FIG. 3 is an exploded fragmentary view in perspective to illustrate thebody member of FIG. 1, just prior to clipper assembly thereto;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view at the plane 4-4 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view at the plane 55 of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 5 to illustrate a modification.

The invention is shown in application to a combined tool wherein afinger-nail clipper 10 is removably retained in a body member 11 whichis capable of performing a different tool function, namely a hair comb.The body member 11 is elongate along its back or body 12, and has pluralcomb teeth 13 extending transversely from one longitudinal edge. Bodymember 11 may be of suitable molded plastic material.

The nail clipper 10 may be of conventional configuration, comprisingopposed stiffly compliant elongate jaw members 14-15, secured as bywelding at one end (16) and formed with spaced cutting edges 17-18 atthe other longitudinal end. A reversible actuating lever 19 is mountedagainst the outer face of the upper jaw, being compressionally pinnedthereto by a headed rivet 20 which passes through aligned openings nearthe cutting endsof the jaw members. The actuating lever 19 is ofgenerally arched contour and in the folded position shown, a footcontact exists at 21, at a location longitudinally intermediate therivet 20 and cutting edge 18. Under this circumstance, the stiff springaction of jaws applies a turning moment to lever 19, resiliently loadingthe free end 22 thereof against the adjacent face ofjaw 15.

Near one longitudinal end, the body 12 is characterized by a cavity 24which, as best shown in FIG. 3, is shaped and contoured generally inaccordance with the planform of the jaws 14-15. Cavity 24 is shown fullyopen at the upper face of body 12 and is only partly open at the lowerface; also as shown, the lower face is characterized by an outwardlybulging wall or walls, so accommodated to the profile of the clipper 10that the inserted clipper is nested in cavity 24 with its folded lever19 substantially adjacent the upper face of body 12 (as best seen inFIG. 1). The body 12 has a principal thickness T which appears at thecut-out 25 in the bulging lower wall or face of body 12. Thus, atapering shallow bulge 26 defines the bottom wall of cavity 24 at thesecured end 16 of the jaw members, and a similarly tapering deeper bulge27 defines the bottom wall of the cavity at the cutting ends (17-18).

Snap-detent means coacts between clipper 10 and body 12 in the course ofclipper assembly to cavity 24. As shown, a pair of opposed detentprojections 28-28 (integral with body 12 and in the general longitudinalregion of opening 25) extent toward each other to present detentinterference with the side edges of jaws 14-15 in the course of suchassembly. This relation is held pending disassembly, as bythumb-depression access tojaw 14 via the opening 25.

As noted above, the assembled clipper 10 and body 12 present lever 19adjacent the upper face of body 12 (see FIG. 5), with the hinge point oflever 19 near the upper or cutting end of the assembly. Thus, the freeend of lever 19 faces downwardly, and when the assembly is inserted intoa pocket 29 (FIG. 2), as for example a coat pocket, the lever 19 willresiliently ride over and pinch the upper edge 30 of the pocket. If thedetent-retained plane of the upper surface of jaw 15 (near end 16) isslightly below the upper face of body 12, then the pinch action by lever19-will be laterally stabilized and self-centering, in that pocket edge30 is caused to engage cavity side-wall edges which are in the pinchregion; this centering action can be enhanced by provision of furtherintegral grip projections 31-31 on opposite lateral sides of cavity 24and in the indicated longitudinal region, as will be understood.

FIG. 6 shows a modification in which a retaining lug or lugs 33 isformed locally in the upper face of body 12 and at the secured-jaw endof the cavity 24, while the bulging wall 34 in the lower face of body 12is longitudinally centrally located. A further retaining lug 35 in thelower face of body 12 projects to support the cutting ends of the jaws,leaving a finger-access opening 36 through which to dislodge theclipper; opposed detents 37 project toward each other to resilientlyinterfere with jaw insertion and removal. In this embodiment, thesecured end 16 is first inserted under lug 33, and then the cutting endis snapped in place, to retain the inserted assembly.

The desired construction will be seen to achieve all stated objects, forthe specific case of a clipper-andcomb combination. The combination ofthe clipper 10 with body 12 may also achieve still further toolcombinations, with or without the comb feature 13. For example, asillustrated by FIG. 1, the lower part of body 12 may be formed with asecond cavity 40 to insertably receive a further tool 41, the same beingdetachably held in place by lug and detent means analogous to thatdescribed for clipper 10. Thus, cavity 40 may be shaped in accordancewith the planform of tool 41, shown as a knife-like tool with a pivotedblade or blades within a folded U-shaped channel or case 42. The lowerface of body 31 may be bulbous as necessary to receive tool 41, andretaining-lug means 43 and detent means 44-44' at the upper face of body12 may hold the assembled relation. It will be appreciated that for suchassembly of the added tool 41, longitudinally spaced beneath clipper 10,the mass of tool 41 produces a pendulous stabilizing action to betterpreserve the vertical orientation of the entire assembly, from the edge30 to which it is clip-pinched by means 19.

While the invention has been described in detail for the forms shown, itwill be understood that modifications may be made without departing fromthe scope of the invention. And the term molded plastic," as usedherein, will be understood to include other materials, such as hardrubber, suitable for the indicated purposes.

What is claimed is:

1. A pocket implement, comprising a molded-plastic body member incombination with a nail clipper; said body member having front and backfaces and an article cavity open via at least one of said faces, andsaid nail clipper being removably positioned in said cavity; saidclipper comprising opposed elongated stiffly complaint jaw memberssecured at one end and having opposed spaced cutting edges at the otherend, an actuating lever alongside one of said jaw members, and rivetmeans extending through aligned openings of both jaw members near saidother end and compressionally pinning one end of said lever to the otherof said jaw members, said lever having an arched profile at its pinnedend such that when folded against said one jaw member the concave sideof said profile is adjacent said one jaw member, whereby the compliantaction of said jaw members resiliently loads the other end of said leveragainst said one jaw member; said cavity conforming generally to theplanform of said jaw members, and retaining means including a detentformation on one of said members, said retaining means establishingdetent interference between said body member and one of said jaw membersin the course of clipper insertion into said cavity, said lever beingpositioned adjacent the general plane of said front face when saidclipper is detent-retained in said cavity.

2. The implement of claim 1, wherein said body member is elongate in thegeneral direction of the elongation of said jaw members, the pinned endof said clipper when retained in the cavity being near one end of saidbody member, whereby said actuating lever may serve as a pocket clip toresiliently retain the assembled clipper and body member in uprightorientation in a garment or the like pocket.

3. The implement of claim 2, wherein said front face includes outwardpocket grip projections on opposite sides of the cavity alongside thefree end of the lever when said clipper is assembled to said bodymember.

4. The implement of claim 1, wherein said back face is partly open tosaid cavity, whereby finger access through the latter opening enablesclipper removal past the detent engagement.

5. The implement of claim 4, wherein the back face is of outwardlybulging contour at the cavity region, the partial opening being in saidbulging contour.

6. The implement of claim 5, wherein the partial opening is locatedintermediate the longitudinal ends of the cavity.

7. The implement of claim 5, wherein the partial opening is located nearthe pinned end of said clipper.

8. The implement of claim 7, wherein the front face of said body memberincludes retaining-lug means overstanding a part of the cavity near theend which receives the secured end of said jaw members.

9. The implement of claim 1, wherein said detent formation is one of twolike opposed projections integral with said body member and extendingtoward each other and overstanding parts of the lateral sides of thecavity.

10. The implement of claim 9, wherein said back face is partly open tosaid cavity and said detent projec-v tions are offset from said backface and longitudinally near the partly open region.

11. The implement of claim 2, in which said body member has a secondarticle cavity longitudinally spaced from the first-mentioned cavity, atool selectably receivable in and removable from said second cavity, anddetent means on said body member engageable with said tool in the courseof insertion thereof into said second cavity, whereby the mass of thetool provides pendulous stability for the assembled implement, whenclipped to a pocket.

12. The implement of claim 1, wherein said body member includes combteeth projecting generally transverse to the elongation axis of thecavity.

1. A pocket implement, comprising a molded-plastic body member incombination with a nail clipper; said body member having front and backfaces and an article cavity open via at least one of said faces, andsaid nail clipper being removably positioned in said cavity; saidclipper comprising opposed elongated stiffly complaint jaw memberssecured at one end and having opposed spaced cutting edges at the otherend, an actuating lever alongside one of said jaw members, and rivetmeans extending through aligned openings of both jaw members near saidother end and compressionally pinning one end of said lever to the otherof said jaw members, said lever having an arched profile at its pinnedend such that when folded against said one jaw member the concave sideof said profile is adjacent said one jaw member, whereby the compliantaction of said jaw members resiliently loads the other end of said leveragainst said one jaw member; said cavity conforming generally to theplanform of said jaw members, and retaining means including a detentformation on one of said members, said retaining means establishingdetent interference between said body member and one of said jaw membersin the course of clipper insertion into said cavity, said lever beingpositioned adjacent the general plane of said front face when saidclipper is detent-retained in said cavity.
 2. The implement of claim 1,wherein said body member is elongate in the general direction of theelongation of said jaw members, the pinned end of said clipper whenretained in the cavity being near one end of said body member, wherebysaid actuating lever may serve as a pocket clip to resiliently retainthe assembled clipper and body member in upright orientation in agarment or the like pocket.
 3. The implement of claim 2, wherein saidfront face includes outward pocket grip projections on opposite sides ofthe cavity alongside the free end of the lever when said clipper isassembled to said body member.
 4. The implement of claim 1, wherein saidback face is partly open to said cavity, whereby finger access throughthe latter opening enables clipper removal past the detent engagement.5. The implement of claim 4, wherein the back face is of outwardlybulging contour at the cavity region, the partial opening being in saidbulging contour.
 6. The implement of claim 5, wherein the partialopening is located intermediate the longitudinal ends of the cavity. 7.The implement of claim 5, wherein the partial opening is located nearthe pinned end of said clipper.
 8. The implement of claim 7, wherein thefront face of said body member includes retaining-lug means overstandinga part of the cavity near the end which receives the secured end of saidjaw members.
 9. The implement of claim 1, wherein said detent formationis one of two like opposed projections integral with said body memberand extending toward each other and overstanding parts of the lateralsides of the cavity.
 10. The implement of claim 9, wherein said backface is partly open to said cavity and said detent projections areoffset from said back face and longitudinally near the partly openregion.
 11. The implement of claim 2, in which said body member has asecond article cavity longitudinally spaced from the first-mentionedcavity, a tool selectably receivable in and removable from said secondcavity, and detent means on said body member engageable with said toolin the course of insertion thereof into said second cavity, whereby themass of the tool provides pendulous stability for the assembledimplement, when clipped to a pocket.
 12. The implement of claim 1,wherein said body member includes comb teeth projecting generallytransverse to The elongation axis of the cavity.